A spokesperson for Territory and Municipal Services said domestic animal services rangers spent four hours searching for the crossbred Staffordshire terriers that night and had visited the house where they were thought to belong but the owners had removed the dogs from the area.

The dogs were said to have killed a cat and a dog and severely injured another cat on their rampage, and at least one of the animals was killed after the dogs jumped the fence into a neighbour's backyard.

The owner of one of the dead animals, who did not want to be identified, said a neighbour had warned her that ''two big dogs'' were on the loose in the neighbourhood and advised her to check on her animals. She was horrified when she returned home to find her beloved pet had had its throat torn out, but she said her biggest concern was for the many small children in the area who may be at risk.

A spokeswoman for the chief minister's office said there were no proposals to change laws concerning dangerous dogs in Canberra. The dogs in question were not declared dangerous under the Domestic Animals Act 2000.

The head of the RSPCA in Canberra, Michael Linke, said Staffordshire terriers were not dangerous by nature and that when dogs act aggressively, irresponsible pet owners were to blame.

Domestic Animal Services has issued a notice to the owner of the suspected dogs, which if surrendered will be kept in a shelter while an investigation occurs. If ownership of the dogs is forfeited they will be put down.